Does this mean it’s real? The capricious Acura NSX is already sold out in Britain

The Acura NSX, one of the 2014’s biggest rumor mills, is still behind closed doors, but U.K. loyalists have already filled the order books for the first year.

According to Top Gear, more than 100 customers have plunked down a deposit for the NSX already, paying no mind that they haven’t driven or seen the production model yet. Thus far, all we have to go on is a smattering of concepts and pre-production renders from the Japanese automaker, but clearly that was enough for NSX admirers.

And it’s easy to see why. Unlike the previous car, which was gorgeously balanced but somewhat underpowered, the latest version looks to compete directly with its European classmates.

“We have our sights set on the Ferrari 458 Italia,” said Ted Klaus, the NSX’s Chief of Development. The all-wheel drive, hybrid supercar employs a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 (with electric reinforcements), and is expected to produce around 500 horsepower.

According to Klaus, that’ll be enough to go head-to-head with performance mainstays like the Nissan GT-R and Audi R8, despite being at an output disadvantage.

“Don’t forget,” he says, “The original NSX didn’t look so good on numbers. But then everyone drove the car and it became a new interpretation of the sports car.”

If you’ve been perusing the automotive news ticker recently, this all might sound very familiar.

As we reported earlier, Honda has begun taking deposits for the new, 280-hp Civic Type R across the pond as well. Like the NSX, the company has not unveiled the full-fledged production model yet, but die-hard brand devotees can’t stand the wait.